Close to Campus
The UC campus is in an area of Charleston called Kanawha City. Campus, businesses, neighborhoods, and more are located along MacCorkle Avenue, between the banks of the Kanawha River and the base of the hillside.
The area around campus is full of places to visit, restaurants to fill you up, and services including banks, UPS, and the post office.
What’s here in Kanawha City
There are several drugstores in the area, including Walgreens, CVS, Drug Emporium (which also houses a Healthy Life mart) and Trivillian’s Pharmacy and Soda Fountain.
M&M Mart offers the chance to pick up convenience store type groceries, and also houses a great deli serving Boars Head meat and cheese products.
Piggly Wiggly and Kroger grocery stores are both close to campus.
International foods can be found at Spice of Life and the Pacific International Market. You can visit the Asian Market in South Charleston as well.
Healthy Life Market, located in the Drug Emporium, offers organic foods, supplements and more.
Kanawha City also offers plenty for the hungry when you don’t feel like cooking, with a variety of options from fast food to elegant dining, from international fare to locally owned spots. (See our Restaurant Page)
The Shops at Kanawha, just a short drive from campus, includes both an AT&T and T-Mobile store, Gabriel Brothers, Dollar Tree, and even a gourmet beef jerky store. There is a Department of Motor Vehicles office located here as well. Across McCorkle Avenue from The Shops is a Lowe’s.
The UPS Store offers shipping services, printing/copying and U-Haul rental. Further down MacCorkle Avenue is the U.S. Post Office.
If you are a crafter, Kanawha City Yarn Company offers beautiful yarns, classes, and more.
The area also offers several banks, hair salons, churches, and a MedExpress.
Don’t miss: Budget Tapes and Records, called the state’s “hippest record store” has been cranking out the latest music for 50 years and if you are into vinyl, you have to visit.
Nearby and Worth Checking Out
Charleston has several unique districts within city limits, each with its own personality.
Elk City offers an assortment of shopping and restaurants that are both quirky and fun, as well as an indoor skate park.
Kinship Goods and Basecamp Printing offer unique prints, clothing, and more with a distinctive style, while Books and Brews offers pizza, pepperoni rolls (the “official” WV snack), craft beer and more in a book-filled spot.
Every fall, the area is the home to OctoberWest, where the streets come alive with music and beer as well as stein holding challenges and more.
South Hills overlooks Charleston and features great boutique shopping, very good restaurants, and some incredible real estate. Travel up the winding hills, and visit locally owned shops that offer distinctive clothing and gifts, personally designed jewelry, and more. Bridge Road Bistro and Lola’s are often destinations for UC date nights.
South Charleston is a separate city from Charleston, about seven miles from campus. It is home to one of the few surviving Criel burial mounds in the area. In addition, South Charleston offers a main street with a variety of shops, including antique shops, consignment shops, print shop, Dollar General, CBD dispensary, and more. And if you are looking for great food, South Charleston has a wide variety – from Vietnamese, to Mexican, from standard American comfort food, to fast food, and more.
Don’t miss: Spring Hill Pastry serves up hot dogs that are an area favorite. But they aren’t the ballpark variety – these are pastries full of cream that will satisfy any sweet tooth.